Well, not in everything but in some things my tastes, orientation, and style all clash like cymbals in a bad orchestration of the 1812 Overture. Well, in either case, this week-end, I am spending some time in Norfolk, VA. I am visiting my friend Larrie who is stationed here and for the most part, we get along. Larrie is the type of guy who keeps it straight with me and I always feel like myself–whoever that is–can truly stay in the myself zone when he is around. He swears like a Sailor, probably wouldn’t enjoy a good symphony, and drinks Jack and Coke right before going to bed. He’s a heck of a guy and quite frankly, I don’t think this post will be the last of his mentioning.

So, Virginia is still Virginia and despite my cool employment in the Navy, I have never made it to this part of what most people call Navy Central. It’s indeed a Navy town and the people don’t look at you with amazement but instead, they want you to stay off the grass and quietly leave. It’s a strange place and I think Larrie, who doesn’t need too much, will most likely end up retiring here when he’s old and even more Navy than he is now.

This morning I took a quick run on the beach and because of the lack of normal Mike stuff, I didn’t drink enough nor take good awareness to the weather. I ended up with a headache and not enough water so, a quick Google followed by two touches on the GPS, I found my Panera. After my run, I talked to OD about her friend in New York. Let’s just say that I am very excited about meeting this person. I don’t think she is ready for me.

Heavens.

So, I am happy and almost content with the day and my headache has suddenly disappeared. Too many class posts already and this is only the first week of class. Good thing it’s the last semester for my MSOL.

Checked out Common’s new album Finding Forever the other day and I felt compelled to provide a review.

First of all, welcome back Hip-Hop! I have not been this moved since Biggie Smalls came to the scene.

Common’s message is simple: music is your hip-hop because nothing else matters.

Not the cars, the bling, the 10 cribs on the beach, the shawty’s lined up outside…none of that matters because without the music, none of it would be possible.

Most hip-hops artists miss the very premise that got them to stardom in the first place. It’s so easy to find yourself stuck in the middle when everyone around you tells you that laffy-taffy is that new hot thang or the fact that anyone can get on stage with about 100 mics yelling “Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!” or “Where my brothas at?!”

Common doesn’t do this in his natural and poetic way. His words are systematically and meticulous and without too much fluff to make it unreachable. I connected to his words without a full understanding of the industry or the movement within. He brought me back to what I was used to as a kid listening to Doug E. Fresh or watch Breakin’ on HBO with Turbo, Speacial K, and of course, Ozone.

And if the music didn’t do you in, the lyrics are poetry and Common’s approach is real with every intention to keep you attentive and in tune with his message. The album is worth every penny and for many albums that I download, I will take a different approach to Common’s album.

A few weeks ago, I met with an old grad school professor, who is also an executive life coach and like I mentioned before, he set me out on a journey to find myself. As idealistic as that may sound, I felt the need to follow through with his advice because if anything, he gets paid to sell people back to themselves.

So, I did.

Mike recommended that I should read The Alchemistand I did.

Whoa! Who knew reading could be so powerful.

I thought long and hard about my situation and if I had half the courage of the protagonist in the book, I would be…well, not here writing a blog. In either case, I made some serious changes in my life from of the combination of the book and speaking with Mike.

1. I decided to move beyond what I am doing and seek options as an officer in the Navy.

2. I decided to be more agressive in getting work back from DC.

3. I decided to tell my loved ones that I do indeed love and not just during the holidays.

4. I walk more.

5. I convinced myself that the marathon that is happening in a few weeks is indeed obtainable and my goal in finishing is extremely realistic.

So, all in all, I have found a part of myself that is strong and full of synergy for what life has to offer. In essence, I have found myself and all the things that to make me a strong, wise, and way too young to give up.

First off, please accept my apologies for this much delay since my last post. In the middle of the last session, I managed to find an active life waiting for me to take control of it. In between work schedules, I have merged back into the school schedule with three classes looming with too much work already.

Anyway, we decided to make our den into a bedroom which does two things for us:

1. Bring more value to the home

2. Get rid of me falling asleep on the couch, which used to be located in the den–the now, bedroom.

3. Makes folks want to stay over and sleep on an actual bed vice a pseudo-bed.

4. Makes our home more of a home.

5. Gives me a reason to change everything else in the house.

So, in between all of that, life has been quite hectic and the week has just started. Work is crazy but in the usual crazy way most Navy jobs are. This week-end I am heading to Norfolk to visit my friend Larrie, who is also in the Navy. He’s a man of few words but the words he chooses to use are always useful to our friendship. It will be a good trip visiting a good friend.

My buddy Albert–or Mike, as he calls himself these days, is off to Iraq and since he has spent the majority of his jar-head career on vacation, this trip will do him some good. I just hope he comes home because in my own travels to that region, I came home in the end.

Most don’t and that’s the real part of this war.

At any rate, I am looking forward to this semester ending and my life in DC, or the OCS route, taking a full frontal position. I need to be more active in my life and getting off the rocking chair on the porch is definitely the first step.

These last couple of days have been interesting. Work has been slightly off center where I feel like I’ve been almost 53.6 seconds off of my normal life speed and despite all the IT jargon used, and the projects being completed amongst the noise of work, I still feel intermittently lost. People at work make me laugh out loud and there is a certain visitor this week who, unfortunately for him, has a serious speech problem. He stutters like a woodpecker on crack and I desperately feel like finishing every single word he says…

but I don’t.

In fact, I very much like him but I think most don’t because of his “situation” but in the end, he’s the smarter one for not caring and for that, I don’t think I will ever forget him.

Oh well.

Today was an even slower event and spending time with Troy is desperately needed. Since I am currently in summer break, which means I can do anything I want without too much worrying about an essay due or serious study time, I feel very liberated and without too much hassle in what to do with my time. It’s a time of renewal for me and I thank God for allowing me to make it this far in life. I am enjoying life more and I feel like my family is a direct reflection of what God has for me.

This is my life thus far and I am very happy for what and who I have in my life.

I love poetry, as most would suspect about me. There is something about the charisma that poetry brings to the table that changes the color of a room or causes people to stop talking. More specifically, I love slam poetry because within its many different layers, I hear music, and tonal noise that causes anyone to stir uncomfortably.

I ran into Dr. Maya Angelou’s poem Communication Ia few years ago and it made me stop, think, and then sit down. It’s poem that surprises you then makes you realize that Angelou’s understanding of love is absolutely misleading in the sense that love between lovers might indeed be the same love for another. There is a sense of prowess with this poem and I believe that the balance between love and sincerity is proven deeply within Angelou’s layering and almost subtle hints of what’s to come.

Communication I

She wished of him a lover’s kiss and
nights of coupled twining.
They laced themselves
between the trees
and to the water’s edge.

Reminding her
they cratered moon lay light-years away,
he spoke of Greece, the Parthenon
and Cleopatra’s barge.

She splayed her foot
up to the shin
within the ocean’s brine.

He quoted Pope and Bernard Shaw
and Catcher in the Rye.

Her sandal lost,
she dried her toe
and then she mopped her brow.

Dry-eyed
she walked into her room
and frankly told her mother,
“Of all he said, I understood
he said he loved another.”